Kingdom Builders

At this year’s Briarwood Easter Egg Hunt, Justin & Hailey showed up worried they’d be turned away, but instead, they were welcomed with kindness. That moment led them to Easter at Harvest Time, where they knew they had found home. Since then, they’ve given their lives to Christ, been baptized, completed Grow Track, joined a group, and are now serving on a Home Team! They are not alone. Because of Briarwood outreaches, several families are now connected to Harvest Time, with 15 kids attending Kids Con and YTH Camp this summer.

At one point in DJ’s life, like many others, he called himself a Christian, but wasn’t truly following Jesus. He cared more about people’s approval than God’s, which left him constantly stressed. Everything changed when DJ was invited to a Wednesday night service and later to YTH Camp. He went for the fun, but it became a defining moment that changed his life. The first message felt deeply personal, and “all [he] could do was surrender to what God was speaking.” After camp, DJ made the decision to be baptized and has never looked back. Camp was an eye-opener for him, and now the thought of others experiencing the same life change fills him with excitement.

There was a time in Blaiklea’s life when she felt like she had to figure everything out on her own. She carried a lot of hurt, anger, and sadness, and often felt completely alone. While walking through that, Blaiklea tried to act strong, but deep down, she felt empty. Everything began to change when she was invited to church. At Harvest Time, Blaiklea was given the opportunity to go to camp. Through our Kingdom Builders initiative, Blaiklea was able to go at no cost to her. At camp, she truly felt God’s love for the first time and decided to accept Jesus as her savior. Now she can confidently say, Jesus has given her peace, strength, and a new sense of family. She can now tell others that God meets us where we are, even in our mess, and He uses our brokenness for something good.